Former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, has advised the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to prioritise hiring local managers for the national team, instead of foreign coaches.
Siasia, who hails from Bayelsa State, made this statement in Abuja during a novelty football match held in honour of Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission.
The former coach commended the Super Eagles’ qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco under the guidance of interim coach Austin Eguavoen.
However, he expressed concerns about Eguavoen holding dual roles as both the team’s interim coach and the NFF’s Technical Director.
“We don’t need any foreign coach because they are not coming to add value. We have enough talent in Nigeria to manage the team,” Siasia said.
He further advised Eguavoen to resign as interim coach and focus on his primary role as technical director, stating, “He cannot hold two positions at the same time. He should decide which one to keep and leave the other.”
Siasia, who himself faced challenges in his career, recently completed a five-year ban imposed by FIFA over match-fixing allegations. The ban, initially a lifetime sanction, was reduced to five years in 2019 following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Siasia’s comments reignite the debate over the NFF’s approach to coaching appointments and the role of local talent in advancing Nigerian football.
